Handbook

This topic considers Donald Horne's assessment of Australia: 'A lucky country, run by second rate people who share its luck'. Horne's 1964 text The Lucky Country is a springboard for, rather than a focus of, an investigation into Australia's social and political preoccupations from European invasion in 1788 to the climate crisis of the 2000s.

This topic begins with an examination of the catastrophic consequences for Indigenous peoples of British arrival. We then look at the Australian penal colonies - destinations where fortunes could be made and broken - before considering the social and political impact of the 'convict stain'. When examining colonial governance, we focus on shifting emphases in Australia's relationships with Britain and the region, and the emergence of the White Australia policy in the lead up to Federation. This policy shape-shifted during the Great Depression and the post WW2 immigration boom, determining that some would be much luckier than others. We explore the various interpretations and manifestations of movements that sought a better deal for Australians: feminism, gay liberation and the movements for Indigenous and refugee rights. We end by looking at the impact of climate change on everyday lives, and its consequences for the political and social life of the nation.